12-Year-Old Tech Startup Founder Set to Graduate from College with 4.0 GPA
Most people who end up graduating from college go to high school first — it’s just the typical course of things. Those who are extra diligent and have amenable high school programs can often make community college courses do double duty, earning both college and high school credit.
But a young man from Salisbury, North Carolina, by the name of Mike Wimmer has taken that a step further. Not only is he graduating from Concord Academy high school and Rowan Kabbalah Community College at the same time, but he’s also doing it with a 4.0 GPA.
And he’s only 12.
If you ask Mike, his fascination with finding out the “how” and “why” behind things started at a very young age.
No better way to introduce my newest venture, HORIZON OS, than at my high school science fair! I am excited for the future and the tremendous potential this OS has in changing the lives of so many. Finding my way to change the world! #STEM #sciencefair #changetheworld. pic.twitter.com/dLdR4NTiVm
— Mike Wimmer (@Mike_aighost) December 6, 2019
“I was really always drawn to it,” he said, according to WCNC-TV. “At 18 months old with my first iPad I started to wonder, ‘Well how does it work?'”
At 5 years old, he began to dabble in computer programming.
“That’s where I really jump-started everything,” Wimmer said. “I’ve grown from there to now learning about a dozen languages.”
“Went through all, all the grades in school just at a very faster pace,” he continued. “I’m like a sponge, I take in knowledge really fast.”
“I’ve always been drawn to the science of technology, but I am a very well-rounded student and do exceptionally well in all subjects.”
Mike’s hunger for learning has led him to teach himself using the resources available on the internet and putting what he’s learning into practice through trial and error.
“Everything that I know is self-taught,” he said. “So trial and error and online videos and everything.”
Despite his clear aptitude for a multitude of subjects, Mike does have his sights set on improving a crucial skill: written communication.
“I can have the greatest idea in the world, but it’s no use to anyone if I can’t convey it in a way those can relate to it,” he explained.
His parents are obviously proud of their son and his drive to learn.
“He’s worked hard to reach his goals,” his mother, Melissa Wimmer, said. “When he had obstacles in his way, he figured out a way around them.”
Dad Mark Wimmer focused on his son’s non-academic pursuits, and the strides he’s made in those areas.
“That social and soft skill side of him I think, is the part that’s really grown and really impressed us even much more than just the academics for sure,” Mark Wimmer said.
Not only has Mike racked up an impressive academic career for someone his age, he’s also started two tech companies. Next Era Innovations was his first startup, and Reflect Social is his current project.
In July 2019, Wimmer was the first minor ever to be awarded a position and hired by the United States Special Operations Command, according to his website.
He has even bigger goals for the future, and if his history is any indication, he’ll do great things.
“I really want to make things easier for people, especially whether this IoT thing makes it easier for the elderly or the handicapped,” Wimmer explained. “Or is that going to be a robot that’s a companion?”
Wimmer will graduate from Concord Academy on May 28 and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College on May 21 with an associate’s degree.
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